Refrigerating apparatus



Sept. 16, 1930. F. E. DENNISON .REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 4. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F. E. DENNISON REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 4, 1927 lull/Illa //J///// ma, I

Sept. 16, 1930.

Jzzolarzzfor Patented Sept. 16, 193.0

"UNITED STATES PATENT GFFHZE FRENCH E. DENNISON, OF BELOI'I', WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOB TO NATIONAL BEFBIGE BA- TION CQBPOBATION, OI BELOI'I', WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWABE REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Application filed August 4, 1927. Serial 110. 210,542.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus particularly of the household type and aims to improve the efiiciency of refrigerators of this character.

In the refrigerators of the above type, i such as have been used. heretofore, much diiiiculty has been encountered in properly apportioning, the cooling efiect of the evaporator so as to sufiiciently cool the ice makm ing compartment and not over-cool the food compartment. Another difficulty was the fact that too great a circulation of air in 1 the food compartments caused the food to dry up in a very short space of time.- One s of the reasons for these difliculties was the fact that the ice compartment, food compartment and evaporator were all in direct communication, allowing too much circulation, and improperly apportioning the circulation so of cooling efiect and also permitting a material loss in cooling effect to the ice compartment, as well as the food compartment, whenever the refrigerator door was opened to obtain access to the latter compartment.

It is therefore the primary object of this invention broadly stated to eliminate the most, if not all, of the circulation of air directly from the evaporating element to the food compartment. 5

It is further an object of, this invention to provide a refrigerating apparatus in which the distribution of cooling efiect from the evaporator is properly apportioned between the ice compartment and the cooling compartment. 7

It is also an object of this invention to provide a refrigerating apparatus employing an ice compartment which does not communicate with the cooling compartment.

tion and claims in connection with the ac-- companying drawings, wherein,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a refrigerator embodying this invention;

A further object is to provide a maximum Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken at the line 2 -2 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section .taken at the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings more particularly, reference character 4 indicates gener ally a refrigerating cabinet preferably suitable for household use. The type of cabinet illustrated includes a center mullion 5 on opposite sides of which are disposed the ordinary swinging doors 6 and 7. I

The space closed by the doors 6 and '7 con stitutes the cooling chamber. The cooling chamber is insulated from the outer walls of the cabinet by suitable insulation 8 and is in two parts 9 and 11 separated by the centrally disposed evaporator compartment 12 which will presently be described.

The evaporating com artment 12 is very narrow and is situated behind the center niullion 5.

Centrally located beneath the cooling compartment and surrounded by the insulated material of the cabinet is the ice compartment 13. The evaporating compartment opens directly at its lower end into the top of the ice compartment 13 and includes a pair of vertical partitions 14 which are spaced from the evaporating element 15 and completely isolated from the cooling chamber. The evaporating element 15 is in the form of a thin vertical member, the lower end of which rests upon the bottom of the ice compartment with ice trays l6 and 17 on either side thereof.

The element 15 is supported in spaced re lation to the partition 14: by screws 18 and radiating fins 19 project from opposite sides of the element 15 into proximity to but not contacting with the walls 14.

The ice compartment is entirely isolated and insulated from the cooling compartment and is provided with its own door 21 which may be opened when it is desired to obtain access to the ice compartment.

The cooling chamber comprising the parts I 9 and 11 is cooled indirectly from the evaporating element 15 by radiation from. the partitions 14 and since there is no direct circulation of air from the evaporating element 100 for t through the cooling chamber and back again to the refrigerating element, there is no tendof the food or other substances in the 6110 000 ing com artment to dry up.

The fact t at the eva orating element 15 cools the cooling chamber only indirectly through the partitions 14 and is in direct communication with the ice compartment, the major cooling effect is provided for the ice compartment which is highly desirable first suflicient cooling effect is provided e cooling chamber. I

It will be observed-that the lower end of the evaporating element rests directly upon and compartment is rovided with a metal lining 21 with whic the element 15 is in contact so that direct heat conduction between the lowest coldest end of the element and the compartment. lining is established which 'reduces the lining to a low temperature and therebyfacilitates the freezing of the'ice.

- While the-space between t e walls 14: in

which the evaporating element is disposed is I relatively narrow it nevertheless permits a limited degree of air circulation, the coldest air next to the element dropping into the ice compartment while the warmer air will rise along the inner faces of the walls 14 thereby further increasing the refrigerating effect 1n the. ice compartment and reducing the effect in the food compartment. It will e noted that the entire storage space of the cabinet is available for the storage of food products, none of this s ace be ing occupied by the ice trays and re rigerat ing coils 'as has been customary in householdapparatus heretofore. A. maximum of'food storage space is therefore provided and in anuary 14,1926. A

I am aware that many changes may be made and many details of construction varied throughout a wide range. without de parting from the principles of this inven--' tion and I,--therefore,do not wish to be limitedto the details shown ordescribed.

1. In a refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a. refrigerating cabinet provided 8 with a cooling compartment, an evaporating I elemenmntrally disposediinjaid compart-' ment, andngp the-bottom of the ice compartment. Thiscompressor which is mounted withinlartitions separating the evapo rating ele ent from the cooling compartment and forming-an evaporating compartment, the cabinet being also provided with an ice compartment separated from the cooling compartment and communicating directly with-the evaporating compartment.

2. In a refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a refrigerating cabinet provided with a cooling compartment, an evaporating element centrally disposed in said conipartment, and partitions separating the evaporating element from the cooling compartment and forming an evaporating compartment, the cabinet being also provided with an ice compartment below the evaporating compartment and separated from the cooling compartment and 1 communicating directly with the evaporating compartment.

' 3. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a plurality of food compartments, a separateice compartment, a refrigerating element disposed between said food compartments separated therefrom by partitions and extendi'n'ginto' the ice compartment said partitions forming. a chamber which communicates .with the ice compartment, butfnot with the food compartments whereby ;air contacting with said element may circulate through said V ice compartment but 1s prevented from entering said food compartment 4. In a refrigeratin apparatus, the combination of a pair'b food compartments separated by and sealed from a central upstanding chamber, 11 ice compartment located in proximity to but heat insulated from said food compartments, a metal. lining for the ice compartment and a refrigerating element disposed between the food compartments in said chamber and contacting with the metal lining of said ice compartment.

' 5. A refrigerating apparatus comprising a food compartment, a metal lined ice compartment, a refrigerating element in direct contact with the lining of the ice compart-- ment and extending in proximit to the food compartment, a wall interposed tween-said element and the food compartment to preclude circulation of air from said element into the food compartment and separate doors for closing each of said compartmenta;

6. A refrigerating apparatus compnsmg a', plurality 0 food compartments,. a separate ice compartment, ,9. refrigerating element and a chamber'for containing the samevertically disposed between said food compartments sealed therefrom and in open communication with the ice com artment whereby air contacting with said ement may circu-' late through the ice com'partmentand cham-' her but is prevented compartment. 7. refrigerating apparatus comprising a food cooling compartment, a; separate ice compartment, arefrigerating element and a" from entering the food chamber for containing the same extending a substantial distance mto and sealed from the cooling compartment, said chamber being in direct communication with the ice compartment whereby air contacting with said element may circulate through theice compartmcntbut is prevented from entering the cooling c0mpartment.

8. In a refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a food compartment, an ice compartment and a refrigerating element and a chamber containing the same extending a substantial distance into but sealed from said food compartment and adapted for cooling the food compartment, the interior of the ice compartment being in direct communication with the refrigerating clement chamber whereby air may circulate between said element and interior of the ice compartment, said chamber extending vertically above the ice compartment.

' In witness of the foregoing I aflix my signature. 4

FRENCH E. DENNISON. 

